Can Horses Eat Bananas?

My horses are always really curious whenever I have food around them, and they enjoy some of the foods I eat a little too much.

The other morning, I wandered out onto my field while I was eating a banana from breakfast to say good morning to my horses.

When my back as turned, one leant over and scoffed the entire thing, skin and all.

Immediately I was annoyed that it had stolen my breakfast but I could only laugh, before I did wonder if bananas were safe for horses. So I did some research.

Can horses eat bananas?

Yes, bananas are perfectly safe for horses. They’re an excellent source of potassium and many runners and riders carry bananas for their horses when racing to refill their energies. Moderation is key, as even a little bit too much can be a problem, but with that in mind they make a great snack.

So, bananas are totally safe and are nutritionally rich for your horse.

However, given that a horse’s diet is typically made up primarily of grass and hay, you can imagine that fresh fruit should only make up a small part of their diet.

So, let’s look at how best to incorporate bananas into your horse’s diet.

How many bananas can a horse eat?

Any fresh fruit should always fall into the treat section of your horse’s diet.

Bananas are included in this.

As I said, moderation is always important, and for bananas in particular, three or four per week should really be the maximum.

So, they can really eat far less bananas than we can comfortably.

Their digestive systems are best suited for things like grass and hay, so fruit can b a bit much for them.

If your horse found and ate multiple bananas in one sitting, it would likely cause a few digestive issues and even sugar spikes.

So, no more than a few bananas a week and never more than one in one sitting.

Furthermore, you should always mix up what treats you give your horse.

Horses love bananas, but your horse may get sick of them if you don’t offer them any other treats.

Can horses eat banana peel?

Horses can have quite a large appetite, and as I said, my horse ate the whole thing when it stole it off me, and the skin is just as safe for your horse as the actual banana itself.

However, it probably won’t really like the peel; it will much prefer the fruit.

So, if you are going to feed your horse a banana, you should still peel it.

Not only will they not like the peel, but the hard, point bit on the end could easily cause your horse to choke, or at the very least it will be very unpleasant to eat.

The peel, then, can still be discarded, as your horse probably won’t want it.

Can horses eat unripe bananas?

You might also be wondering whether ripe or underripe bananas are best for your horse.

Well, the answer is really as you’d expect; ripe bananas are much better for your horse for a few reasons.

Not least, a banana that’s too ripe could pose a choking hazard as they can be very hard.

I actually prefer my bananas a bit green, and your horse will enjoy a green banana too; but it’s probably best to chop it up if you’re going to give your horse an underripe banana.

What are the benefits of bananas for horses?

Bananas have many different health benefits.

One thing you always hear about is their high levels of potassium.

Potassium supports a healthy heart and blood pressure, and it can actually be quite hard to get enough of it in your horse’s diet.

Bananas are a great way to do this, and as I said, 3-4 bananas a week will act as a great potassium supplement.

They’re also high in fiber which, in moderation, is great for your horse’s digestive system.

They contain both pectin and resistant starch, both of which have different benefits.

The pectin can decrease as the banana ripens, so a brown banana will contain less pectin.

These fibers contain nutrients that lower blood sugar levels.

The fibers contained in bananas moderate blood sugar and also provide support for bacteria in your horse’s gut.

Bananas are also high in vitamin B6 and C, which support the health of your horse’s skin and immune system.

These are also difficult to get into a horse’s diet without fruit.

Bananas are also rich in antioxidants, which reduce the risk of heart disease and slow degenerative illness.

The list could go on, but there’s a reason bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world; they’re tasty, healthy and full of useful nutrients, and horses can appreciate this too!

A nice, ripe banana a few times a week can make a fantastic addition to your horse’s diet, then.

You should always be careful of how much you give them, as it’s very easy to overfeed them with fresh fruit.

If used in moderation, though, bananas are great for horses and are full of nutritional benefits.

Even the peel isn’t out of bounds.

Green, yellow, brown—anything goes!